Review by farronk - The Sapling Cage

farronk 's review for:

The Sapling Cage by Margaret Killjoy

4.5

adventurous dark hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

If “a teenage trans girl runs off to join a coven of black-cloak wearing anarchist witches” seems like your jam then this is the book for you. I found myself fascinated by the world building and the depth of even the least pleasant of characters. I always felt, as a reader, that I was experiencing the world alongside the main character instead of having people just talk at me about what was happening.

Some things in this book may not work for everyone, such as some in-world transphobia and lack of modern language to describe it, as well as its acknowledgment of darker threats toward women as a whole. Others may find the way witch society handles certain situations like bullying to be unsatisfying. I personally sometimes felt myself chafing a little against the apparent binaries of this world, but I do not think the intention of the world of Sapling Cage is to enforce these ideas, simply interpret and discuss them.

Personally I found this book to be satisfying dark where it needed to be, and I loved the horror elements of magic and creatures. The rather straightforward prose was beautiful in its own way and didn’t skimp on memorable scenes and character interactions. My only real issue that takes half a star off is that the ending felt a bit rushed, with certain elements being treated as surprises where I felt I didn’t have enough time to understand or be shocked by them. It seems like it was in a bit of a hurry to wrap up.

Content Warnings